When you got Channing Crowder calling you out for being "loud and crazy," well, let's just say you must be pretty fun to be around.

Here's some more material from Vontae's former Illinois teammate Will Davis, a DL in Arizona camp: "He brought it. Even in practice, he would just bring it every time. Some people don’t even want to be out there at times. If he caught an interception he’d run it back 80 yards down the field by himself if he had to, yelling, like, 'Yeah, let’s get it.' He’s always been that high-energy guy that makes you laugh and makes you want to be out there and play football."

And that personality can pay off in other ways.

"He loves competition," Will Davis said. "That’s what I like about him. We were real close in school, took a lot of the same classes. Zulu. Stats. He’s real competitive. He doesn’t care who he’s playing. He never wants to lose. I’m sure he’s looking forward to being in the NFL and playing the top guys. That’s a path he wants to be on …

"Tell him I talk Zulu better than him. He might argue with you a little bit, but I got him down. He was trying to suck up to the teacher a little bit. He does a lot of talking. He’d go to the teacher after class and things like that. I didn’t need to do that. I was a Zulu whiz, you know what I’m saying. I got a B. I don’t even know what he got, but I know it wasn’t as good. Or he could have got a better grade just from sucking up. I earned that B."

I checked on this with Vontae, who proudly reported he got a B-plus in Zulu.

“‘Tis better to have more thunder in the hand than lightning in the mouth…”
I fully agree MDR, but I also think this quote
“it ain’t braggin’ if you can back it up” is appropo… I’d love to have a “love to hate” kinda guy on our team…as long as he backs it up!

OMAR KELLY was unsuccessful at achieving his childhood dream to become a super hero, so he figured he'd do the next best thing and become a journalist who fights against injustice, and searches for truth. After being bored to death reporting news and covering politics, he switched to sports.
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IZZY GOULD joined the Sun Sentinel in Feb. 2012 as a Senior Sports Reporter on the Miami Dolphins beat. He came to South Florida fresh off covering the University of Alabama football program, including its 2011 national championship team. More